The UP Fighting Maroons finally broke through against the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
UP snapped its 11-game losing streak against Ateneo with a gutsy 17-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23, 16-14 victory in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
After dropping the first two sets, the Fighting Maroons found their rhythm and refused to back down.
Ateneo nearly stole the fourth set after unleashing a massive 14-5 rally to erase a 9-18 deficit and tie the frame at 23-all. However, Ana Hermosura committed back-to-back errors, allowing UP to force a deciding fifth set.
UP, Ateneo in Back-and-Forth Decider
In the fifth set, the Blue Eagles once again erased a three-point deficit to level the score at 9-all. Both teams exchanged blows down the stretch until Nigerian spiker Fina Ali delivered a sharp cross-court hit to bring UP to match point, 15-14.
Niña Ytang then sealed the win with a decisive block on Zey Pacia, completing the 16-14 escape and lifting the Fighting Maroons to a 2-0 record, their best start since Season 84.
“Finally, we found a way to play our own game because we were worrying too much about what was happening on the other side. So, when we found that kind of rhythm, that kind of game that we like more, we became more effective,” said UP head coach Fabio Menta.
Ytang led the Fighting Maroons with 15 points, built on 11 attacks, three blocks, and one ace. Irah Jaboneta added 14 points, while Ali and Casiey Dongallo chipped in 12 markers apiece.
For Ateneo, Jennifer Delos Santos poured in 21 points, while Hermosura contributed 19. Donna De Leon finished with 15 points, and Pacia added 14.
UP looks to keep its momentum when it faces the La Salle Lady Spikers on Wednesday, February 25, at 3:00 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Earlier that day, Ateneo takes on the winless UST Golden Tigresses at 1:00 p.m.
